What would you say is the ideal amount of years to have children apart? ?

Question

My children are 4 years apart and my wife and I are expecting our third in September. Our son is 8 and our daughter 4. It wasn’t planned it just happened that way.

What is your opinion?

Answer 1

ideally for me they would be 2 to 3 years apart. i want them to be close enough to play and grow up together, but old enough to not feel it necessary to encroach on one another's space socially like what i went through with my sisters..

Answer 2

Ideal.  You will not have more than one child in college at a time.

Answer 3

2 1/2-3 years apart without a doubt.  I love it.  I've got helpers for each new baby and they are pretty much out of diapers by the time the next one gets here.  Also, they are still close enough in age to have a good relationship with one another.  I've got a 6, 3 1/2 and 10 month old.  They're like the 3 Stooges.

Answer 4

Actually the way you and your wife had your kids apart, is the exact way I want mine to be! I think it allows time for you to enjoy each child before you have another. My daughter is 3 and I want to have another when she is 4, so I'm glad i waited b/c I have been able to enjoy her being so young and will have gotten through the terrible twos and threes before having a second. Plus I personally wouldn't be able to handle 2 kids in diapers at the same time so, I wanted to wait till our first was a bit older... and potty trained!

But as for spacing kids, I think there is no wrong or right answer, it all depends on the couple and what they want to do and are willing to handle. There pros and cons to having them close and farther apart. So just do it the way that you want and don't worry about it.  

Answer 5

my kids are 3 years apart.  i think 3-4 years is perfect.

Answer 6

My two kids are 4 years apart 7 and 3 and I think that it is just perfect.

Answer 7

Four years apart sounds good to me.

Answer 8

Mine are 18 months apart (girl, then boy) and it worked perfectly.  They're friends and have a good time together when they need to, get along with each others friends but don't expect to always be allowed to tag along.  

I had a 2 year older sibling who I usually got along with (same deal as with my kids).  3 year younger who I literally tried to strangle on at least one occasion and I never speak to now, a 5 year younger who always wanted to tag along and would throw fits if she didn't get to (although she is my best friend now I hated her when we were kids, lol) and a 7 year younger who even as an adult, I hardly know.

Answer 9

11 months. then the kids will be friends.

Wow. birth twice in a year? I think I'll adopt.  

Answer 10

to me there is no ideal age if you happen to have your kids 3 or 4 years apart then so be it some people like to have kids closer together. I am 6 years older than my little sister and 9 years older than my little brother and my older sister ( half sister) is 6 years older than me my parents didn't plan it that way it just happened. I know people who like their kids to be close in age and that's fine too.

Answer 11

My kids are five years apart.  I was hoping to have them three years apart, but, it didn't happen as planned.  It's true, they didn't have much in common as little tykes, but, became great friends later on.  The one good thing about the spacing is that by the time I had the second child, the older one was in kindergarten.  It gave me time to completely enjoy the new infant without causing jealousy with the older one.  I made sure the baby's nap time was set so that when the older child came home, I had alone time with her.  Worked out pretty good!  Enjoy your new babe and congratulations!

Answer 12

My ideal is 0 years apart.  :-)

I had twins first and wouldn't have it any other way.

I'm expecting my 3rd and probably final child and that baby will be 20 months younger than my twins.

Answer 13

2 years apart. I think this way they are still close to the same age range so they LIKE to play together!

Answer 14

if it is so the parents can be on top of things then do it like you have but if you want them to be playmates and close friends then 2 years is good.